Taking Over the UK Business During the GFC

Building a Pan-European Real Estate Powerhouse | Christophe Garbe (GARBE)

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Hey Everyone, Welcome Back!

What does it take to scale a family-run development business into a €15 billion pan-European real estate platform?

This week, I sat down with Christophe Garbe, Managing Partner of GARBE, to unpack how he grew the company from its Hamburg roots into one of Europe's leading logistics and real estate players — now operating across 13 countries with 21 offices.

Christophe shares his journey from joining the family business to taking over the UK arm just before the Global Financial Crisis, rationalising the platform, and spearheading GARBE's "2.0" strategy — doubling down on logistics, expanding into residential and science & tech, and building out a European development and fund management engine.

We explore how GARBE has navigated shifting market cycles, why decentralisation has been key to their growth, and how Christophe is positioning the business for the next chapter of European real estate.

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Key Topics Covered In This Episode:

✅ Scaling Across Europe – From Hamburg beginnings to a €15 billion platform spanning 13 countries

✅ Crisis Leadership – Taking over the UK business on the eve of the GFC

✅ Strategic Evolution – Logistics, residential, science & tech, data centres and beyond

✅ Decentralised Model – Empowering local teams to drive accountability and growth

✅ Lifelong Learning – How studying at Harvard sharpened strategic thinking despite dyslexia

✅ Market Outlook – Navigating uncertainty and spotting opportunities across European markets

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Oh, and one last thing…

In every episode, I ask each guest: Who are the People, what Property, and which Place they would invest in if they had £500m at their disposal?

Christophe's answer did not disappoint 👌

Got any thoughts or questions about this podcast? Drop them in the comments — I'm always up for a chat!

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